Weightlifting made its debut at the first Olympics of the modern era, in 1896 in Athens. Women's weightlifting was finally added to the program more than 100 years later, at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.

There are 15 medal events, including eight in men's competition and seven in women's competition, which means there are 45 total medals available.

There are 260 athletes competing, including 156 men and 104 women.

Athletes in the men's competition are put into eight different weight categories that span from 56 kilograms to 105-plus kilograms.

Athletes in the women's competition are put into seven different weight categories that span from 48 kilograms to 75-plus kilograms.

There are two types of lifts - the snatch and clean-and-jerk.

In the snatch, competitors must lift the bar from the floor above their head in one motion. In the clean-and-jerk, competitors first lift the bar to their shoulders, then above their head.

Each competitor will have three attempts in each lift.

A winner is determined based on who can lift the most weight.

According to london2012. com, the heaviest weight lifted in Olympic competition was at the 2004 Games in Athens, when Hossein Rezazadeh of Iran completed the clean-and-jerk at 263.5 kilograms, the equivalent to about 580 pounds.

China dominated weightlifting on their home soil at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, winning eight of 15 gold medals and finishing with nine medals in total.

Canada's Olympic team has won two silver medals in weightlifting, including at the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki and the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.

Jacques Demers won silver in the men's middleweight class in L.A. with a lift of 335 kilograms.

Gerald Gratton won Canada's first medal in weightlifting, a silver thanks to a 390-kilogram lift, in the men's middleweight class in 1952.

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